


Salvation

by LyzDrake



Series: Mate Needed [2]
Category: Teen Titans - All Media Types, The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-08-23 02:10:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8309704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyzDrake/pseuds/LyzDrake





	

Robin looked around, wondering where Raven was. It was Halloween, and she had disappeared earlier, presumably to her room, but a simple scan of the tower proved that she had left the building. He spotted Starfire in the corner. She smiled softly, understanding, and tapped her communicator. Despite having just broken up, better off as friends, Starfire was determined to see Robin with Raven. It was one of the things she had coaxed him to admit- he had strong feelings for the purple-eyed demoness.

Robin sent a call to her communicator, hoping she would pick up. No such luck.

“Can you not find her?” Starfire had come over.

“No. What if her powers glitched again? I’ve noticed them doing that.” Robin was worried to the core. He reached through their bond, which had been as strong as ever. It was closed off at her end, another thing she never did. He didn’t want to invade her privacy, but this was worrying him. He tapped a few buttons on his screen, and Raven’s location popped up on his communicator. He waved to Cyborg, who was happily kissing Bee, and left. The closest his communicator could bring him before it lost signal was seaside cliffs a town over.

Was she a captive, imprisoned in these gloomy cliffs? Cautiously, he edged his head to look over and saw a large cave entrance. He unhooked his grappling gun, and shot a line that would serve well enough for him to rappel down. Once inside, he saw a large network of caves. Hoping he would find her soon, he started down the smallest, the most obscure, and the least traveled by spelunkers. Soon, Robin was faced with a steel door set in the cliffs, with a lock, but no key. He cautiously pressed his hand to the metal and pushed. It swung open, and he was faced with another choice. He went on for an hour, choosing branch after branch, passing steel doors, and going deeper into the cliff. He was probably below sea level by now. If Raven was down here, she was almost definitely a prisoner. Exhaustion caught up with him, and he sat for a minute. He listened for footsteps, and heard a small noise, like muffled screaming.

He stood and sprinted, hoping against hope. He wanted to find Raven, but also hoping it wasn’t her screaming. He came up to a door that was thicker than the rest, and requiring a handprint scan to open. He had to try, even if it was almost impossible he would be keyed into the door. Shaking he removed his glove and hesitated. What if this was a trap? But it was Raven. He had to try. The hand worked, miraculously, and a retina scanner emerged. This stopped Robin in his tracks. He would have to remove his mask. His mask hid his civilian life, kept his loved ones safe.

But... Bruce knew what he was doing, as did Alfred. And Raven was one of his loved ones too. Robin slowly peeled back the mask, revealing his sapphire blue eyes. The retina scan opened the door, and the screaming got louder. It was definitely Raven. He rounded a corner and froze. Raven was glowing with power, and her eyes were shut. She was screaming, true, but it was also evident she had put herself in. There were books he recognized as hers on a shelf, and a circle with candles- much like what she used to meditate- surrounding her cage. She screamed his name, not Robin, but his civilian name, Richard, clearly out of it, before passing out. He doubted she knew he was here. He jerked open the doors of the cage, and pulled her into his arms.

At once, she calmed, no longer thrashing. He spied a key on a shelf, and used it to unchain her body from her restraints. They were made of silver, with runes carved into them. She whimpered and curled into him.

“No... Mate... Reject... Demon... Save me.” She murmured.

“Raven?” He said lowly. Mate? Did she have a soul mate or something? Why did the though hurt so much? And if she did, did he reject her? Was this about her demon side? The side that made her more beautiful for her strength? He stroked her hair. “Shhhhhh Rae. I’m here for you now.” She calmed and fell into a sleep. Robin soon fell into a sleep as well, still holding Raven tight, as if to shelter her from bad memories.

~~~~~~~~~~The Next Morning~~~~~~~~~~

When Raven awoke the next morning, she was acutely aware of three things. First, she was not insane. Second, she was not chained. Third, she was in someone’s arms. She opened her eyes and looked up. Richard was holding her, mask off, and sound asleep. She froze. He had seen her at her worst last night. Chances are he had not realized what had happened, nor that it had all been self-inflicted. She disentangled herself from him, and started to clean up, putting things away. She left the cage for last, but it eventually needed to be put away. She grabbed the chains that had held her, and hissed. Her hands were on fire where they held the silver. Hands covered hers, pulling the chains from them.

“Where do you put them?” Her mate’s voice was soft, and she instinctively pointed to the cupboard they belonged in. She closed the cage and locked it, still wincing every time she came in contact with an item of her confinement. Richard took hold of her wrists and turned them to reveal blistering palms, much like a vampire’s alleged garlic reaction. Her wrists, ankles, and neck looked the same.

“Why do you do this to yourself?” He whispered, unable to fathom a reason. She jerked, surprised. He knew she hurt herself, and stayed anyways. Instead of answering, she looked at a clock. She had woken earlier than normal, a good explanation for why Jason hadn’t shown up yet.

“You should put on a mask.” She said instead. “Someone will be here any minute.”

Hurt, Robin did as she asked, almost not breathing when he saw Red-X come in. He ignored Robin, and produced an ointment from a pocket in his belt.

“Hey, Sunshine.” The retired villain’s voice had no trace of cockiness, instead focusing on Raven completely. He wiped away a tear of pain from Raven’s eye, and covered her hands in ointment, wrapping them in gauze to prevent blood from dripping.

“Robin, it would be best if you left. We’ll be busy for a good while.” He left, pain trilling through him, and waited around the bend. He still had an excellent earful though. Red-X had obviously removed the suit, or at least the mask.

“Ow!” Raven hissed. “I’m sorry, Rae. I know it hurts. Someday, you can stop this hopefully.”

“It hurts, Jase.” She whimpered. “I know, darlin'. I know.” ‘Jase’ replied.

“Why don’t you just tell him?” Now Robin perked his ears up. Was this about him, or about her mysterious mate?

“Because if he rejects me, it would hurt more than my one Samhain a year.” She was defensive.

“And the insanity won’t catch up anytime soon?” Jase was sarcastic. “How about your powers? Those will automatically fix themselves. And I’m sure the bond isn’t bothering you this instant.”

Raven was quiet. “I know Jason. You and Damon are the closest I’ve got to family, cuz, but the insanity will be a relief for me. Just promise me you won’t let me turn out like the Joker. Same thing happened to him, despite him being a quarter blood. He lost his mate, lost his powers, and lost his mind. Promise me you’ll have me bound and placed in the sanctuary. That’s where I’ll be safe.”

“No, Rae. I can’t do that. I’m your cousin. I can’t let you harm yourself, even by inaction.” Raven’s voice was pained.

“Just... Please, Jason. Please.” An unzipping sound was heard, and Robin risked peaking to see her back scalded and hurting like the rest of her. It seems not even cloth between her and the chains would save her the hurt.

“He deserves to know.” Jason reminded her.

“He’s with someone else.” Raven’s voice was dejected. She could be heard re-zipping her clothes and moving back to a seated position. A bottle was uncorked and she breathed in sharply. “I hate this part.”

“I know. I would have Damon here if I could, but he’s dealing with problems of his own. Please, just drink it. I brewed it fresh, so it’ll be a bit better than normal.” There was silence for a moment, before she gasped and spluttered.

“Please! Call Dami. He can be here in an hour, and I need him.” Robin decided this was a good time to re-enter the cave. “Can I come in?” He asked. Jason looked up, startled, and Richard grew angry. “You!” He cried, hurt.

“Hey, bro. I’m sorry.” Jason whispered brokenly.

“I would have told you,” Raven interjected, “but Jase begged me not to. He wanted a fresh start. He just couldn’t refuse the suit, and it escalated. It’s why he retired so soon. He’s my cousin, Richard.” She was torn between the two.

“You let me believe you were dead!” Richard shouted.

“I was. Ra al Ghul revived me, partially. My soul was slightly... detached? Raven fixed me up and let me go, to have a fresh start. I wanted to tell you, but something stopped me. I was afraid, so I left and started over. I just kept in touch with Rae. When this business started with Samhain I retired the suit so I could help Rae without hurting her conscience.”

“What exactly is this business with Samhain?” Richard inquired. Raven shrunk back.

“How about I call Damon. When he gets here, we’ll sit down and explain most of this. No names... I promise.” Jason proposed, uncommonly gentle. Raven nodded, and Robin wondered what happened to the strong woman he knew. At twenty-four, he had known her for ten years, and never had he seen her so weak. Nevertheless, he agreed to wait for this Damon. Soon, a tall black haired, blue eyed man arrived in the cave. He moved with an inhuman grace, and Raven clung to him once he got in the room.

“Shhhh piccolo.”He murmured. She squeezed him. By now, Robin had changed into civvies, as had Raven and Jason. A copper headed man ran into the room, alarmed, only to see a black-haired woman crying into Damon’s chest.

“Damon?” He said incredulously. Damon looked up, eyes cold.

“Stefan.” He spat. He tightened his grip on Raven. She looked up at him as an African American girl also came in. Immediately, Damon gripped his head in his hands and groaned. In spite of her pain, Raven placed her hand on his and healed, blocking the young witches’s power.

“Stop, Bonnie.” Damon snarled. “You’re tiring her out.” Her pulled Raven from his skin and stepped back.

“No.” He told her firmly.

“Dami.” She whined, weakly.

“No, Raven.” He told her seriously. “Bonnie, go. Stefan, I guess you can stay. This is Raven, my four times great granddaughter.”

Stefan and Bonnie gaped. “You had a kid?”

“While I was at war.” Damon admitted. “Marlene Allison. We had a son, Jonathan. He had a daughter, and so on...” He turned back to Raven as Bonnie honored his request and left.

“What was so important? Jason sent out the distress call.” As she stuttered to answer, Jason spoke up.

“She had a bad night.” Stefan raised an eyebrow.

“You called my brother because she didn’t sleep well?” Damon ignored his brother and lifted Raven into his arms.

“Are you okay?” Raven shook her head and showed him her burns, which were worse than normal, and hadn’t healed, even with the mixture Jason had given her. His eyes widened. “What about your back?” He asked gently. She turned and lifted her shirt, showing him a back that looked as if it had been branded it was so inflamed. Stefan gasped. Damon bit his wrist and offered it to her. She accepted a few mouthfuls of his blood, and watched as she started healing without a scar. He took her back into his arms. “What about your mate? Any progress?” She turned her head in response, looking around.

“Someone needs to start explaining now.” Richard demanded.

Raven sighed. “You know how I opened the portal for my father at sixteen, and also sealed him away in a separate dimension, correct? Well, that was possible because that was when my demonic blood would truly mature. Until then, I was closer to a human than a demon. When it matured, though, my blood also demanded a mate. Every night, on Samhain, it releases my demonic side and locks away my human side. That will only stop when I have united with my mate. Every Halloween, I lock myself away here, and bind myself in a way that will keep my dark side from harming the world around me. I fear one day I will drive myself insane, like my nephew did. The Joker is my father’s sister’s half demon’s son. He went insane when his mate rejected him. It’s why I am so fearful of approaching mine. He is with another, and if he does not truly, with all his heart, want me, then I will go insane.” She explained sadly.

Richard swept Raven from Damon’s arms into his. “You’re insane.” He told her. “Who wouldn’t want you, Rae? You’re the strongest person I know. You went against fate itself and came out triumphant.” She looked into his eyes and found them truthful.

“Thanks, Dick, but this is different.” She turned back into Damon’s arms, as if it hurt her to be in his. Suddenly, a thought struck Robin. “What if you tell us who your mate is, and we scope him out?”

Raven froze. “No!” She exclaimed. He frowned.

“Why not?” Stefan interjected. Raven just burrowed into Damon’s arms.

“She knows him well.” Damon explained. “In fact, she knows him better than anyone else. He’s with someone else, and truly loves her. She just doesn’t know if it’s brotherly, friendly, or truly romantic. She refuses to find out, because if it turns out to be a truly romantic love, it will hit her as if he had rejected her. She’ll have at most hours before she goes insane. Jason and I will have to get her to a sanctuary where others have gone when rejected. It will keep her from harming the world. Also, half-demons are immortal if unmated, so often, there are half-demons who spend eternity in the sanctuary. I know of one who had spent one hundred and fifty years in there. We visit occasionally. After all, she was a friend of mine back before she was rejected.”

“Whom?” Stefan inquired.

“You might remember her as well.” Damon said darkly. “It’s Isabella Fernan.”

“Who was she rejected by?”

“None of your business.” Raven interjected. “It is hers. She is lucid at times, and a good friend to me. We’ll be buddies before long.”

“Never.” Robin declared. She looked at him in surprise. “Look Rae, I’m just going to say it. I have feelings for you. Strong ones. But if you belong to this mate of yours, and he’ll make you happy, then I will do everyting in my power to play matchmaker with him. I love you Raven. I’ll do anything for you.” His eyes were pleading for her not to reject his help, not to be repulsed by his love.

“You... love me?” Raven repeated cautiously. He nodded, looking away from her piercing eyes. He felt her at the edge of his mind. _‘Richard?’ ‘Yeah Rae?’_ He let her in. _‘I love you too. I thought you were in love with Starfire.’_ His eyes shot to hers so fast he thought he might have whiplash later. _‘I’m your mate?’_ Raven nodded and shook her hand at the others, telling them to clear the room. They did instantly, Stefan more confused than ever. Robin took her in his arms and did what he’d been dreaming of for years. He kissed her. An hour later, a smiling and slightly ruffled Raven emerged to instruct Damon on how to care for her runic chains, in case he ever ran into a demon. Jason and Richard helped her pack her things into a bottomless bag.

“So what now?” Robin asked playfully.

“Well, Dami has been asking for my help in Mystic Falls for a while. Maybe I’ll go help, and get used to my new powers.”

“New powers?”

“I am now fully mature and have a grip on my demon side. I will have newer, stronger powers. You need to return to the Titans, inform them of our new status, and tell your father. In a few months... who knows where we will be.”


End file.
